Located in Patna, the capital city of the Indian state of Bihar, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan is the most frequented picnic spot and garners around 10,000 visitors daily. On the New Year"s Day of 2011, the park was visited by more than 36,000 tourists. The park is also known as the Patna Zoo and the Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological Garden.

History of Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan
In the year 1969, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan was initially established as a botanical garden. The then Governor of Bihar, Shri Nityanand Kanoongo provided about 34 acres of land to the Forest Department to establish the garden. Later in 1972, the Public Works and the Revenue Department added 58 acres and 60 acres respectively to the Forest Department to expand the park.

In 1973, the park was opened to the public after combining the botanical garden with the zoo. Almost a decade later in 1983, the land acquired from the Public Works Department and the Revenue Department was declared protected forest by the state government.

Flora and Fauna of Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan
Spreading over a total area of 152.95 acres, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan is currently home to over 800 animals of about 110 species. With 300 different species of trees, 70 species of animals, 35 species of aquatic life and 5 different species of snakes, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan has a variety of mammals and reptiles. This includes tiger, leopard, elephants, Himalayan black bear, jackal, black bucks, spotted deer, peafowl, Hill myna, gharial, python, Indian Rhinoceros, giraffe and zebra.

Around a major part of the zoo is covered with dense forest where different species of trees are encompassed. This park contains a variety of tree species including shrubs and herbs. There is also a small nursery where medical plants are grown and exhibited including rose garden, glass house, fern house, and orchid house. Therefore, this park is popular not only in other states in India, but it is also famous in the international level where tourists come to visit from different countries.

Conservation in Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan
The Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan also engages in breeding of animals thus conserving and protecting endangered species. Animals like the great one horned rhinoceros, hippopotamus, leopard, alligator and porcupine have been bred here in the zoo.

Visiting Information on Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan
The nearest railway station to the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan is the Patna railway station at a distance of 5 km and the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is the closest at a distance of 2.3 km.